- The funding from Denmark will be channelled through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), a leading Aid for Trade organization that partners with Eastern African governments to reduce barriers to trade.
- Denmark’s support to TMEA’s Safe Trade, that is being implemented in 10 countries will enable continuous efforts to provide essential services at the key entry and exit points while keeping front line border workers safe.
Kenya’s efforts to transition to Green Trade and create sustainable jobs under the Denmark and Kenya Strategic Framework for 2021 to 2025 have received a USD 14.5 Million boost.
The funding from Denmark will be channelled through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), a leading Aid for Trade organization that partners with Eastern African governments to reduce barriers to trade through automation and adoption of sustainable physical infrastructures such as One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs), ports among others.
The second agreement of USD 3 million (Approx. Kes 330,000,000) will support continued response to COVID-19 under TradeMark East Africa’s Safe Trade Emergency Facility (Safe Trade) Programme.
Denmark’s support to TMEA’s Safe Trade, that is being implemented in 10 countries will enable continuous efforts to provide essential services at the key entry and exit points while keeping front line border workers safe.
Safe Trade has ensured collaboration to combat COVID-19 through provision of platform for COVID-19 response by public and private partners, partnering with the EAC in leading the regional dialogues and policy interventions, provision of protective equipment, supporting roll-out and uptake of the Regional Electronic Cargo and Driver Tracking System (RECDTS), construction of safe trade zones for women traders across various borders.
With the green trade funding (USD 14.5 million), TMEA will partner with government institutions and private sector in adopting sustainable and efficient transport and infrastructure for reduced barriers to trade, improving trading standards and sanitary and phytosanitary issues and improving business competitiveness in Kenya.
In automation, Denmark’s funding will ensure that government agencies in partnership with TMEA ramp up digitisation efforts of key trade processes to reduce use of paper and time taken to trade. Results have been banked from previous support.
For example, East Africa Tea Trade Association (EATTA) completed and started use of the Integrated Tea Trade System thus automating Mombasa Tea Auction, the second largest black tea auction in the world. As a result, tea producers from 10 countries in Eastern African can now offer their teas electronically from their countries (without need to travel or congregating at the auction floor); and all documentation for teas sold through the auction is now paperless.
The automated system, which will officially be launched later this year, enables the tea sector achieve efficiency positioning it as a competitive auction, and will reduce the tea trading cycle by about 65 percent from the current 45 to 60 days to less than a month.
Denmark Ambassador to Kenya H.E Thonke said: “TradeMark East Africa falls under The Denmark-Kenya Sustainable Jobs and Trade thematic focus area whose objective is Green transformation and climate change adaptation, income opportunities and decent jobs, business competitiveness, trade and investments. Under these intervention areas, activities will be implemented around trade facilitation, value chains, renewable and non-renewable energy, investment in natural capital, resource efficiency and cleaner technology, climate change mitigation and adaptation, competitiveness, productivity, advocacy, and market access.”
PS Kevit Desai said: “The Government of Kenya appreciates the partnership and support of Denmark to the Kenya Country Programme and to the Safe Trade Emergency Facility through TradeMark East Africa. Denmark’s investments through TMEA towards green and inclusive growth contribute to ensuring trade in Kenya is green, resilient, and sustainable. This support also contributes to Kenya’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development goals and the Paris Agreement.”
